Giggs: My first phone call was to Fergie

Ryan Giggs has spoken to MUTV ahead of his first press conference as Manchester United manager and revealed that his first phone call after getting the job was to Sir Alex Ferguson.

“Obviously I played under Sir Alex for so long so he was the first person to call because I wanted advice and to know what to expect,” he said. “Who better to ring? Why wouldn’t I?!”

Giggs also retold the message that he has given to the players this week in training.

“I’ve just said to them ‘I trust you and I know what you’re capable of and go out there and show it on Saturday and give the fans something to shout about. Entertain them, score goals, make tackles, play with speed, play with tempo.’ And that’s what they’ve done in training and they’ll take that out into the game on Saturday.”

Not to be pedantic, but Giggsy has said both Scholes and SAF were the first person he called. I am betting he called Scholes real first and then SAF.

SAF apparently said at a charity event in Manchester that it was upsetting the way Moyes sack news came out in press before he was told. Poor SAF. This was not the outcome he wanted. And if Moyes had the humility to learn he would have listened to SAF and kept on the backroom team, become a better manager and learnt in the process, his biggest failing was his unwillingness to learn or change.

Rio Ferdinand has quashed rumours about his impending retirement by telling BT Sport he hopes to carry on playing for Manchester United next season.

The 35-year-old defender, who was appearing as a pundit for the FA Cup semi-final between Hull City and Sheffield United, told host Jake Humphrey he intends to pulls on his boots next season, regardless of whether he is offered a new deal at Old Trafford.

Ferdinand’s contract expires in the summer and he would be a free agent if United boss David Moyes decided to let him go.

When Jake asked him what his plans were next season, Rio replied: “Hopefully still playing – that’s the aim, I want to continue playing.

“I’m enjoying my football and the legs aren’t giving way yet so I’d like to continue, whether that be at Manchester United or [whether it will have to be] somewhere else, depending on what the club want to do.

“Time will tell, we’ll have to wait until the end of the season, get it sorted out, speak and see where we’re at.”

Jake added: “But your preference is to play on and play on at Manchester United if possible?”

Ferdinand replied: “Of course, that’s the dream. I’m living the dream and I want that to continue, but we’ll have to wait and see at the end of the season.”

The former England defender has made 20 appearances for the club this season – 11 of them in the Premier League.

If Rio is willing to take a pay cut and sign a one year rolling contract then I have no problem with him staying. Rio actually had a really good season the year before last, but there is no denying he has been quite awful in a lot of games this season despite a very good performance at home to Munich.

We need to be targeting a top class centre back this summer and with Evans and Smalling around I think Rio is acceptant of the fact he'd be a squad player at best. Giggsy won't be showing him any videos of Phil Jagielka and telling him he wants him to play like that at least.

I think its a bit to early for giggs but he is definitely going to be our manager at some stage. How good was his press conference so much positivity to me with moyes gone it feels like the storm has passed and the sun has come out all the negativity has gone players seem happy I mean shit even this blog has been more positive the last few months has been a few good barneys on here lets hope the lads can give giggs his first win

Its been bugging me every time I go on sky sports news,or online. Now I have said it would have taken Moyes 3 years to reconstruct the side, and for a time in April I thought he was getting an idea on how the team will play, and I stand by my point the squad was not in the condition for someone like Moyes to take over, because of the key positions needing rebuilding, and Moyes was not the man to do that, he needed a 96 99 or 2007 squad, not a 2013 squad

But back to my point, its really been annoying me, managers and other people all been saying united do not sack managers the way everyone else does, because the way fergie has been treated the past 20 years, no shit Sherlock you answered your own question pulis, of course united were never going to sack fergie because we were winning things, IDIOT, 5 titles in 7 years says it all, and he changed. Is people like pulis more gutted? because they'er standard of doing things is heavily flawed at the highest level, that British managers will never get top jobs, because they are still dinosaurs. United must have been idiots to sack a fergie, they got a one off. And until people outside of united realize that, they will never understand why united sacked Moyes in the first place

But overall, does anyone else get really annoyed? when managers like sam allardyce and Pulis try and defend Moyes, and bash united in the way they sacked Moyes, when the job Moyes done was still so bad, they cannot see the reason why united sacked him in the first place, even though the squad in terms of the backbone of the squad, needs reconstructing badly, Moyes like I say was not the man to reconstruct the backbone of the squad

It's the code of the managers to stick up for each other even when of them is clearly doing a bad job. Allardyce done a brilliant job with Bolton and a good job at West Ham, but he seriously over rates himself when he claims he could be Real Madrid manager and he'd win the league every year there. He's suitable for a certain level and to play a certain style and that's all he's ever going to be and there's nothing to be ashamed about because he is clearly a good manager - for a certain level though.

Well like I said earlier Moyes is 7 million pounds richer today on his birthday so all in all he's won the bloody lottery today. United have moved on already.

@Fletch - The 7-1 thrashing against Roma at Old Trafford is Manchester United through and through.

Going into the home match down 2-1, it was a European night, youth was mixed with old heads, there was energy and anticipation in the squad (Alan Smith's return) and within Old Trafford. United played with such intention, desire, creativity, flair, etc. They were brave and they entertained the masses.

Giggs as a permanent successor is a horrible idea. I would have thought a line would have been drawn under the Fergie era with the sacking of Moyes. The fact Fergie is plumping for Giggs suggests they have learned nothing from the 10-month debacle. I've nothing against the class of 92 and would feel positive if they continue to have a role going forward, but to suggest one of them can manage United at this stage of their coaching careers is ludicrous. In the interests of United the Board needs to get someone in here who's first call is not going to be to Fergie. Someone that has a pedigree like the coaches they are considering. If Fergie is plumping for Giggs it provides further evidence the Moyes appointment was nothing more than him wanting a coach that would be holden to him, as anyone from the 92 would. Fergie was the greatest but time to move on. Let's not make the same mistake twice.

It looks like we will never learn from Moyes' mistake. Giggs has all the ingredients to make a fine coach later in future, but not now. We shouldn't even be considering him for now. Not after what we had with Moyes. The Glazers will be so calous and foolish to take such a risk a second time in a row. We need an experienced manager with big pedigree, Giggs could come in later , not now.

Still reeling over it I mean no one wants to see anyone fail(at least at United)but the poor man was out of his depth not his fault just an impossible situation .I think Ryan is the best choice for the moment not sure who is available whos worth it I'd prefer Kloop but we have to wait and see.But we will be back no doubt about it,not as quick as I'd like but soon enough.Red Devils forever.

Re Giggs, Giggs is certainly not ready to manage United, he is a completely unproven coach/manager, maybe with SAF's former backroom staff he could learn the trade but he's not going to learn it from Nicky Butt, PNev or even the great Scholes.

The lads taking over is nice for us after Moyes era but let us not fool ourselves that Giggs is the finished article as a a manager. His longevity means he has more insights than most but managing is a different ball game to playing and he needs to prove he is a winner that he has the tactical, motivational and technical ability to be the kind of manager a Club like United need. Personally, I am not sure Giggs is tough enough for a role like United manager, he seems to lack the bastard factor, big personality and ego a Maureen, SAF, LVG or Klopp have. But then he may not need that provided he can deliver on the rest. I would love to see Giggs as United manager but looking at how so many of our past players, other than Blanc, have not made it to top level its not easy. It would take one bad stint at another Club for a reputation to fall. I hope Giggs sticks it out at United, gets the assistant manager job and does at some point take over. Yes he said all the right things, he said what SAF would have said. That is great, but that is not his own style of management it is a good team player talk. We are yet to see Giggs own evolution as a coach and manager and fingers crossed unlike the rest he makes it at this level.

"It was really natural [to see Giggs take charge] because I always think, ever since I started playing for Manchester United, that kind of player inspires you," said Evra.

"They inspire the young players, they inspire the senior players and you can see people fighting more for their place, to make sure they're picked for the team.

"It's the respect. That's what it is straight away, because it's someone from the club, it's someone who has won every trophy with this club.

"As a person, as a player, straight away he gets that respect, that's why I said it wasn't really weird to see Ryan as the new manager.""I'm happy. I don't know why Scholesy took so long to come back. We've really missed him. When I see Scholesy it reminds me of when we played against Manchester City [in the FA Cup in 2012] and I saw him training with us [Scholes had retired the previous season].

"I said, 'Why are you training with us?' and he started to laugh.

"The next day he came in the dressing-room and I saw his shirt and I remember the dressing-room was buzzing, so happy, That's what Scholesy can bring to the club, the joy, because he and Giggsy are legends."

Evra claimed it had been a tough week for United following the decision to sack Moyes after just 10 months in the job, but the France international said the players were already referring to Giggs as 'the boss'.

"It's been a busy week and we've had a lot of disappointment like the whole year, a lot of frustration," said Evra in an interview with MUTV

But we have to move on, there's a new manager in place, and we just have to make sure we stick behind Ryan.

"A lot of people are still calling him Ryan Giggs, but he's the boss, the new boss, and we have to make sure we stick behind him and the club.

"We have a big game on Saturday. People are saying we have nothing to play for but when you play for Manchester United, even if it's just a friendly game, you always have something to play for.

"Especially now, because it's Ryan's first game in charge, and for the fans, because our home record has been really bad this year, and we'll try to make sure it doesn't go that way again and we're frustrated after the game.

Press reporting players at United will be hit in wages - maybe not Rooney but many of them - "Many United stars have a 25 per cent cut in their wages next season as a result of being out of the money-spinning tournament."

Approx £7m severance pay for Moyes, add to that the Fellini purchase £27m, missing out on CL £60m, top 4 spot another at least £20m......we're looking at £114m, and that's just the disasterous financial impact the muppet has had on the club...the non financial impacts e.g. Club stature, credibility, have also taken a beating this season

On a more positive note, good to see Giggs talk about his approach to getting the team back to playing the United way. More direction and positivity displayed in his first speech as manager than Moyes showed all season.

Its the way he was brought up under Fergie and he has clearly brought that into the team, Good first performance, although I dont think he should be the next manager, the one after the next he should be and if as expected Vanm Gaal comes in then I would expect him to be apart of the coaching staff